Doesn't Apple know that one cannot proceed by clinging on the patents and legal protections alone.
They're doing no such thing. They're trying to slow others so that they can stay ahead.
For the longest time I refused to buy new smartphones because I don't agree with Apple's iPhone lockdown (If I buy a product, it's mine. Nowhere does it say I'm leasing an iPhone, Apple should have no say about what I do with it.) and because multi-touch was a make-or-break feature.
By keeping manufacturers afraid of implementing multi-touch Apple keeps consumers like me from going to them because they seem behind on the times.